Some points to consider:
- Research the durability/reliability of the Vaio, especially the Picturebook. I work with a company that standardized on them for executives, and ther repair rate has been frightful. They are beautiful and light, but structural compromises were made to make them that way.
- Do you need to interchange data with others (clients, co-workers) while on-site? Then don't forego a floppy drive or CD burner. Internal drives are better; external drives are a hassle to pack and keep track of, IMHO.
- Buying in HKG carries one or two risks: Warranty coverage and repair service. Most electronics you buy there come with warranties that do NOT apply outside HK. Sometimes they give you a form to send to the manfacturer to "register" the warranty for your home country, but I've have spotty results from this. A form for a pocket TV was total BS, but the form that registered my JVC MiniDisc player was officially recognized by JVC. There was another thread on FT some months ago about someone trying to get manufacturer service on a portable CD player purchased in Portugal(?) in a UK shop, and it turned into like a three-month nightmare. And he still doesn't have his CD player back.
- Be sure to ask for a North American power cord. I've been told several times by HK merchants that I can get one, but they are not allowed to offer one.
I'm
not saying don't buy a laptop in HKG, but remember there are multiple reasons for the much lower prices.
RAD
(edited for the usual spelling and grammatical errors)
[This message has been edited by RAD (edited 06-16-2001).]